Happy Birthday Karen!!

My friend Karen had a birthday yesterday. Unfortunately, I can be a very "average" friend at times and this was one of them. I didn't call her or send a birthday card. So, I decided since she's a blogger like me, I would dedicate a post just to her! Karen is one of my oldest and dearest friends. She is also the one friend that I can honestly say has always been a strong Godly influence in my life. I'm constantly amazed at her quiet but strong; grounded but open-minded; and disciplined but loving relationship with the Lord!!

I have had many experinces with Karen, but the best one by far was our trip to Greece several years ago. Karen's school was taking a trip to visit biblical sites in the country and she asked if I wanted to go. This was my first trip out of the country, first plane ride (I would recommend taking a shorter flight for a first), and she was the only person I knew. It was FABULOUS!! Easily, one of the most exciting two weeks of my life.

I have decided to post a small picture library from that trip to give Karen a trip of her own down memory lane. This may bore the rest of you, but I really think Karen will like it:) [An aside here: I already had the pictures in a scrapbook and coudn't scan them so the quality is poor on many of them]

Castle at Kavala - Can you find the golden hand in these, Karen? You'll probably have to click on the picture to make it larger to see it in most of them. There is a sticker of the hand in each of the pictures that has a hidden hand. (This was a little game we played. In all the group pics, there is a golden hand strategically hidden somewhere. You probably had to be there for that to be funny, but if you would like to play, by all means...:)

Orchomenos - my favorite day!! Karen, can you believe you did this?! We were WAY UP:) (Karen has a small fear of heights that she actually developed on this trip - it's a miracle we all didn't get one!)

Edessa

Holy Meteora Monastery - we were so fashion forward; it's very cool now to wear skirts over pants and jeans:)

Festos - We had the best group of people on our trip; From left to right: me, Benji (not my Benji HA), Karen, Mark, Emily, and Dr. Browning (coolest nerdy guy ever:)

Agracorinth - home of the viper that crawled across my foot and the place where Karen said what was maybe her first ugly word ever:) Dr. Browning was very upset that we scared the snake away with our screaming - it was the kind of snake that bit the apostle Paul and apparantly would have been very educational to see! He's kind of crazy too:)

Knossos (we were trying to recreate a Grateful Dead album cover)

Just us girls

The joys of travel - washing clothes by hand and "squatty potties" - AWFUL

Food wasn't the best either, but McDonalds - so great that its universal!!

One of my favorite things in Greece - Diet Coke:)

Karen, Emily, and I made some top ten lists our last night in Greece. I wanted to post our entire lists from the trip on here, but that would have taken forever... so I'll leave you with just a short recap. Our top two most heard quotes:

"The cutomer is responsible for all under body damage to this vehicle."

and

"You don't get that on the bus tour!"

Thank you so much for being my friend. Thank you also for being farther along in your walk with Christ so I can look to you and imitate what you do. You have the testimony that I want and pray for for my son! I love you and am so thankful that God put you in my life!

Happy Birthday!!

P.S. You can check out Karen's blog under my friends list. It's a great encouragement for believers!!